New tool added to the mix

April 8, 2011

While trying to solve the puzzle of how to countersink my rudder trailing edge wedge I kept running into the issue that the countersink bit needs to hit the surface of the wedge flat. Being a wedge, it obviously isn’t going to do this without some coaxing.

I tried making a few jigs, but they just didn’t come out right. So I decided that the best way to solve the problem was to get a vise for my drill press that I could adjust the angle on. I found one on Amazon for woodworking, but it is built like a tank, so I have no doubt it will work for my aluminum stuff as well.

Then I made this super simple jig. It is a piece of MDF with a small notch routed out of the middle. This is where the nipple on the countersink bit can be pressed into. The rails are scraps of stiffener that are epoxied into place.